


A Serendipitous Journey

by ReadingIsFundamental



Series: Adele in Twisted Wonderland [1]
Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, I mean it, Multiple Endings, OC/Canon, One-Sided Attraction, and when i say slowburn, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:00:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28659138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReadingIsFundamental/pseuds/ReadingIsFundamental
Summary: Adelaide is a strange girl fallen into the curiosity of Twisted Wonderland. After waking up in a room full of floating coffins and beginning her journey at an all boys school,  she begins to wonder; how did she get here, when is she going home, and just how is the headmaster responsible?  Follow Adele as she makes friends and gets her bearings in a whole new world!
Relationships: Azul Ashengrotto/Original Character(s), Leona Kingscholar/Original Character(s), Malleus Draconia/Original Character(s), Vil Schoenheit/Original Character(s)
Series: Adele in Twisted Wonderland [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100327
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	1. Prologue

Under the blue haze of the moon, the padding of young feet against plush carpet was the only sound stirring in the silence. Somewhere in the large mansion, the rest of the family and help lay asleep in their beds, a long day of work and play led them straight to their dreams. One soul, waking and weary, tiptoed through the long, winding hallways—minding the noisy boards underfoot as she went—to reach her grandfather’s study.  
Through the high arching door she disappeared, allowing the thick wood to rest gently against her back as she closed it. The moon shone brighter in here than the quaint murmur of light from her own room, bringing comfort in the clear image of walls lined with dark, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Standing proud behind the staunch mahogany desk littered with papers and open books, was the room’s crowning achievement; a tall, bay window with pillows lining the custom seat attached. A cozy nook for novel reading by the sunlight and admiring the stars by moonlight.  
With movement as familiar as breathing, the young woman tucked her nightgown under her knees as she climbed atop the thick, cushioned bench. Staring wistfully out into the night, anticipation—or was it anxiety? — roiled in her stomach, clenching her heart. Inky darkness beckoned, insisting her place at the precipice. Of what…she wondered. Perhaps she was just dreaming and the feeling in her chest was nothing more than the onset signs of a coming nightmare. However, the chill radiating from the window’s glass was enough to prove that she was in fact awake, which was a lovelier notion than dreaming about being anxious in her grandfather’s study.  
Despite herself, she brought her hands up under her chin and picked the brightest star in the sky. It shimmered like a diamond among the vast nothing of a background.  
“Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight…” she muttered to herself. “I wish I may, I wish I might; have the wish I wish tonight. I wish to make my grandparents proud.”  
With a sigh and a feeling of completion, she began her descent, however a small voice in the back of her mind urged her to continue. So, she took a moment before moving away from the window to readjust and close her eyes, allowing herself to be selfish for just one, passing moment. “And may I please find a sense of belonging?”  
If she had looked behind her at that moment, the young woman would’ve seen the ghostly hand reaching forward from the miniscule mirror sitting on her grandfather’s desk. She would’ve seen the fingers wrap one by one around her ankle before the world grew suddenly dark.

 _For me. For them. For you. We are all running out of time. No matter what, never let go of my hand._  


**_Girl Goes Missing Just Days Before College Move-In Date_ **

The Dodgson family, notorious for their philanthropy and goodwill, were struck with horror when they woke to find their late son's daughter, Adelaide Dodgson, missing.

With only days to go before moving into the dorms at Bates College, the family is left scared and wondering where she could possibly be. If anyone has any information on Adelaide's whereabouts, contact local police with tips.


	2. A Whole New World

The distant sounds of a struggle seeped through the water-tight seal of slumber, causing Adele to scrunch to her nose. Her eyelids fluttered in confusion as she regained consciousness. At least…she thought she was awake. It was too dark to tell.

Her own breath hitting her face told her she was in some sort of box. She wiggled her fingers and toes, checking their existence before attempting to stretch. The box was definitely wooden and roughly her size, with extraordinarily little wiggle room for her arms and legs. Panic surged in her heart, urging her arms to brace against what one could only assume was the lid and push. It didn’t budge.

The wood above her began to creak as something—rather, someone—tried to pry it apart.

“Hello?” Adele called weakly. There was no response aside from the continuous creaking and thuds as the wood fell back into place when whoever was trying to open her box lost their grip on the lid.

“Crap.” A muffled voice cursed from outside the box. “People are coming.” The lid shook twice as they grappled with it once more. “I gotta get a uniform before they get here.”

The voice muttered something about a secret move and then suddenly the world was engulfed in a flame so bright and blue that forced Adele’s eyes shut. She yelped from the pain of the heat and pushed as far into the box as she could to avoid the flames lapping at her skin. 

Once it settled down, Adele opened her eyes. Tiny flecks of light littered her vision from where she was blinded but sitting at the foot of what she would soon realize was a coffin judging by the rest of the coffins floating in the air around the dark room, was a grey cat with eternal flames burning from his ears and a pitchfork for a tail.

They locked eyes for a moment before he squealed, startling a scream from her own mouth. He threw forepaws up in the air, his eyes wide. “Ack! Why are you up?”

“A cat?” She asked aloud to no one in particular.

Adele studied the creature in front of her, her chest heaving with fear as her mind tried to make sense of the world around her. Behind the talking cat creature was a cavernous, lantern-lit gothic atrium. The stained-glass windows were near black in coloration with lacelike lining etched deep into thick designs. Crystal garland was strung from the chandelier to the walls and bunted to hang down and catch the flickering candlelight from below in thick, glimmering droplets.

The haunting beauty of the atrium was nothing beside its occupants. Dozens upon dozens of intricately designed coffins were floating around in the open air up and up and up until Adele couldn’t even comprehend how tall the room was. The way they bobbed along the draft but stayed in place like buoys upon the oceans’ waves was…it was almost like… _magic_.

“Just who are you calling a _cat?_!” The… _not-cat_ yelled, his eyes scrunching downward in displeasure. Adele squirreled her way towards the top of her own coffin that had been set on the ground and forced open by the small creature now yelling at her. She put her hands up in defense as she pressed herself to the lip of the top of her coffin, heartrate picking back up. “I am _the Great Grim_!”

“And I’m Adelaide-,”

“I didn’t ask!” The Great Grim rolled his eyes and a smirk grew on his tiny snout as he gave his next order. “Now hurry up and give me those robes or I’ll roast ya.”

She hadn’t noticed the heavy black robes tied snugly over her nightgown, but she didn’t have much time to think on the intricate gold design before blue flames caught the wood and began to rise. In the middle of the heat the eyes of the cat monster burned brighter, threatening her beyond his words alone. Fear clutched her heart once more and before she could think, her body sprang into action.

The motion of her standing and fleeing from the coffin and jumping through the flames knocked The Great Grim on his back. He yelped as she passed and called after her as she disappeared behind the wall of cerulean heat.

With a speed unknown to her, Adele barely registered the world passing her by. Strangely decorated hallways and classrooms blurred in her eyes as she pushed open heavy door after door in her desperation. Lavender eyes wide with panic, Adele surveyed the open courtyard she had found herself in. Somewhere in the distance she could hear The Great Grim cursing her in his nasally tenor.

Panting hard, Adele forced her legs to move. As she ran into the night, her hands began to fumble with the tie around her middle. She had learned long ago that it’s better to give in to the demands of those that are stronger if you want to get away unscathed, so if that creature wanted the foreign robe, he could have it. She slipped her shoulders and arms from the fabric and left it behind on the ground as a large building came into view.

In her nightgown alone, she could feel the cool, late September breeze against her heated skin. She shivered as she approached the door, her legs starting to slow underneath her. In one quick movement, she opened the door and shut it behind her, only stopping to look around once she knew she was safe.

“A library…” Adele muttered in amazement. The chandeliers that hung from the ceiling were large and round, their flames burning weakly casting a dim light just bright enough for the teen to notice the tall ceilings and vast collection of books. Mismatched lanterns of all shapes and sizes burned green flames and hung precariously from ledges and sat on top of strange pillars at random around the room. It was as if a child had put the décor together, but to Adele the sight was almost comforting to her.

Now that her heart had time to calm itself and the adrenaline began to wash away, exhaustion and confusion set in. With legs like jelly, she drifted towards a plush-looking chair tucked away in a corner. Adele began to take stock of the things she did know so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the things she didn’t.

One. It was nighttime. The overall darkness and goosebumps on her exposed skin were sure she wouldn’t forget that fact. Two. She must be at a school campus. Long hallways full of classrooms and lecture halls with a large library waiting at the end? There couldn’t be much else it could be unless the town hall was getting creative. And three. She was being chased by a monster.

All in all, _this has to be a dream_ , Adele reasoned. But…In the dim glow of the green lanterns she could see her leg practically radiating red and irritated where the flames had nicked her, and the pain was starting to make itself known at the loss of adrenaline. Her bare feet were chilled to the bone and aching under duress. These feelings were quite real to be that of a dream.

It wasn’t until she was aware of the feeling of being watched that the air around her crackled and fizzed, making the hairs the backs of her arms stand on end. Her heart thundered in her chest as a man stepped out of the shadows and into the dim light. She stood quickly and placed the chair between them in defense as she studied him.

He was dressed in the most peculiar fashion, though she was no one to judge standing around in her nightgown of all things. Atop his black hair sat a black silken top hat adorned with bits and bobbles and on his face a bird’s mask that looked like it had a place in a Venetian masquerade. His button-down shirt would’ve looked normal had it not been for the heavily embroidered vest and grand feathered cloak. In the strange man’s arm, hissing and spitting insults, was the cat monster from before. He was tied up and tucked under the man’s arm like a football.

“There you are. Are you one of the new students?” He asked as if he already knew the answer. “It’s unprecedented for a new student to leave the Gate on their own.”

“New student?” She asked but was ignored as he continued to drone on about how wrong it was for her to have left _The Gate_. Confusion was replaced with worry as she watched Grim struggle under the man’s hold and he whined when he tightened his grip. Despite the fact that he had tried to kill her many times in their short acquaintance, seeing him tied up and writhing squeezed at her heart.

“I think you should loosen the ropes; you might be hurting him.” Adele’s brows knitted together as she spoke.

“Loosen the ropes?” The man looked at her—or at least, she thought he was looking at her, it was hard to tell with his mask covering his eyes—and then looked at the creature in his arms. He sighed and shook his head. “First you break out of your coffin and let your familiar run amuck while you leave the Gate on your own and leave your robes out on the green, and now you ask me to let it go?”

“I am NOT a familiar.” The Great Grim squirmed in his place, but the man only tightened his hold.

“Yes, yes, the difficult ones always say that now hush for a moment.” The man nodded his head in mock understanding. His shoulders were squared and unwavering, which didn’t match the almost coddling tone his voice held. The dichotomy made Adele take a slight step back into the moonlight shining through one of the back windows, illuminated her features.

Shock seemed to still the man’s movements. “A girl.” He said and lowered his gaze, his free hand coming up to rest on his chin in thought. “It wasn’t supposed to be a girl…. but…could work…”

Adele only caught half of his muttering to himself before he stopped altogether. “Ma’am, I’m not sure how it happened, but it seems there’s been a mistake and I apologize.”

“A mistake?” Adele quirked her head to the side dreamily, still dazed by the bizarre situation in itself. If this was a dream, she would have to quickly write it all down in her journal before she forgot all of it after waking up.

“You are at Night’s Raven College,” the man explained. With a flick of his wrist the robe she had discarded previously was hanging from his open hand. Her eyes widened at the trick as her mind tried to reason with her. “I am the headmaster here; you may call me Headmaster Crowley.” He extended his arm to offer the garment. “You must be cold in nothing but your shift.”

“Night’s Raven College,” Adele repeated. Hesitantly she took the robe and slipped it on, the warmth enveloping her immediately. “How did I get here, Headmaster Crowley? I seem to have forgotten.”

“Transportation magic can have that effect-,”

“Magic?” She asked incredulously. “Are you some kind of stage magician?”

“Me? A stage magician?” Crowley drew back, the feathers of his cape all but rustling as he bristled. “Madame I am offended, I am the kind, generous headmaster of one of Twisted Wonderland’s most prestigious magic academies! I am no conjurer of cheap tricks!”

Adele’s mind doubled in on itself trying to follow the flamboyantly frightening man’s words. Magic and magic academia wasn’t something she had ever considered outside of the fantasy novels she devoured as a child. Though, the image of the robe appearing out of thin air and the feeling of his very presence was evidence enough of some other-worldly property. Regardless, the oppressive nature of his stance urged her to go along with whatever he was saying.

“I apologize for my rudeness, but you must forgive my shock.” She shook her head. “Magic doesn’t exist where I come from.”

It was true. The only magic that existed in Maine was the kind your created yourself. Among the forests and changing colors of the seasons it was easy to romanticize life and believe in the unbelievable. However, what this man was doing was something altogether intriguing and terrifying.

“And where is it that you come from?” Crowley asked, tilting his head to the side. The yellow orbs in place of his eyes made her fidget and close the collar of the robe a little tighter around herself.

“A town called Cumberland Foreside, Maine.” Adele answered honestly, yet felt fear crawl up her spine as he muttered the name under his breath.

“You’ll excuse my unfamiliarity with the name,” Crowley waved the notion away, “We’ll find a way to send you back home, but for now, I have to get back to the entrance ceremony. Come, let’s return to the Hall of Mirrors.”

Adele didn’t bother questioning it anymore and simply followed behind the headmaster as he led her back down the corridors she had run through in her haste. As they walked, he explained the history of the school and she did her best to keep up while sparing glances at the tied-up cat monster in his arms who continued to struggle against his restraints.

As they approached the door, she had initially run through in her attempt to escape Grim’s flames, she felt unease grip her once more. Crowley handed Grim over to her none-to-gently and told her to wait behind the closed door. As he burst into the room, she could hear the crowd begin to whisper though the words were indiscernible.

“Let me go, human!!” Grim wriggled in her grasp once they were alone together once more. Adele looked down at him and offered him a small, apologetic smile before stroking the spot between his ears.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” She said, her voice just barely above a whisper.

Adele continued to pet him as she laid her head back on the wall behind her and sighed. _If this were a dream, I would’ve woken up by now._ She thought to herself absentmindedly. Under her ministrations the cat monster began a slow, rumbling purr.

“This doesn’t mean I’m happy…” Grim warned. If he were human, Adele would’ve sworn he’d be blushing. Maybe he just wasn’t used to the attention, she thought.

As she was busy thinking, Grim very quickly bit her hand, and she dropped him to the floor. The cat monster yelped as he hit the wooden floor but continued to wriggle until he was free from his confines. He hooked the pitchfork of his tail on the doorknob and yanked, pulling it open with a soft click.

“Smell ya later, human!” Grim called over his small shoulder, just barely seeing Adele hold her hand to her chest in pain before making a break for it and darting into the Hall of Mirrors.

“Wait-,” Adele called, running after him.

The minute she stepped foot into the Hall of Mirrors, she immediately regretted it. The entire freshman student body plus the headmaster and dorm heads turned to look at the noisy intrusion with curiosity and amusement.

Adele flushed and brought her limbs closer to her body to take up less room. She nodded to the different groupings of boys. “I seem to have misplaced my cat?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow wow wow wow wow wow wow!! here we are!!  
> The very beginning of her journey! Sorry that there wasn't a whole lot of other characters in this chapter, but the next one will be riddled with these beautiful anime boys!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! <3  
> and if you need some reference for what Adele looks like here's a drawing I commissioned from the lovely @supergals on tumblr: https://usaginotwst.tumblr.com/post/630101740056936448/i-commissioned-supergals-for-my-twst-oc-adele

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! If you're here from Weird Girl Energy, thank you so much! If you're brand new, then welcome!! I'm so excited to actually start writing Adele's journey from the very beginning, which is something a lot of you have been asking me about!  
> This story will follow the main story of the game as well as the events, but will also, of course sprinkle in a few of my own headcanons and my own theories regarding Crowley's involvement with the overblots!  
> Also the title is a WIP, i'm not sure how I like it very much, but who knows!!  
> Again, thank you so much for following me and Adele on this journey!


End file.
